Fluxus- An art
movement
begun in 1961/1962, which flourished throughout the 1960s, and
into the 1970s. Characterized by a strongly Dadaist attitude, Fluxus promoted
artistic experimentation mixed with social and political activism,
an often celebrated anarchistic change. Although Germany was its principal location, Fluxus was
an international avant-garde movement active in major
Dutch, English, French, Swedish, and American cities. Its participants
were a divergent group of individualists whose most common theme
was their delight in spontaneity and humor. Fluxus members
avoided any limiting art theories, and spurned pure aesthetic objectives, producing
such mixed-mediaworks as found
poems, mail art, silent orchestras, and collages of such readily available
materials as scavanged posters, newspapers, and other
ephemera. Their activities resulted
in many events or situations, often called "Aktions"
— works challenging definitions of art as focused on objects -- performances, guerilla or street theater, concerts of electronic
music— many of them similar
to what in America were known as Happenings.

In Latin and other
languages, "Fluxus" literally means "flow"
and "change." Similarly, the related English word "flux" is used variously
to mean "a state of continuous change," "a fusion," and "a gushing
of fluid from a body."

George Maciunas
(Lithuanian-American, 1931-1978) coined the name Fluxus. He described
it as "a fusion of Spike Jones, gags, games, Vaudeville,
Cage and Duchamp." He co-ordinated and edited numerous Fluxus
publications.

According to George
Maciunas, Fluxus intended to "purge the world of bourgeois sickness . . . of dead
art," to "promote a revolutionary flood and tide in
art, anti-art, promote non art reality
. . ." and to "fuse the cadres of cultural, social,
and political revolutionaries into a united front and action."

The
Fluxus portal is
the best source on the Internet for all things Fluxus — goodies
for newcomers and experts alike. Subscribe to the Fluxist for definitions, history, resources, and plenty of lively discussion.
Book and video recommendations, links to related movements, and
all your favorite Fluxists, including Al Hansen, Yoko Ono, and
Al Hendricks.

Aspen Magazine
was the first three-dimensional magazine. It was published from
1965-1971 by Roaring Fork Press, NYC. This Web version was published
in 2002. The Fluxus issue (number 8 of 10) came out
in Fall-Winter 1970-71. It was edited by Dan Graham, designed
by George Maciunas, and included work by Philip Glass, Richard
Serra, Steve Reich, Yvonne Rainer, Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Morris,
Robert Smithson, Edward Ruscha, and others.